Calibrating Superconducting Qubits: From NISQ to Fault Tolerance

Superconducting quantum computing has emerged as a promising platform for early quantum computing experiments. This is due in part to the fabrication and control benefits afforded by existing mature technologies (semiconductor fabrication and microwave control), as well as a relatively straightforward control scheme. As we pursue fault tolerance and practical NISQ applications, qubit counts need to increase and fidelity requirements become more stringent. This in turn requires more complex and robust calibration protocols. In this talk, I will discuss the challenges associated with calibrating and controlling superconducting quantum hardware as we push both qubit number and gate performance. I will also highlight the need for context-dependent calibrations and robust automated maintenance in order to achieve stable, high performance for specific algorithms.